Data Scientists pay range in Santa Maria
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $68,690 a year or less, while the top 10% make $205,040 or more. The middle half of data scientists in Santa Maria earn between $82,110 and $159,150.
- $69K10th
- $82K25th
- $114KMedian
- $159K75th
- $205K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $125,770 | $10,481 | $60.47 |
| Median | $113,990 | $9,499 | $54.80 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $82,110 | $6,842 | $39.48 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $159,150 | $13,262 | $76.51 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Data Scientists salary after taxes in Santa Maria
On the average salary of $125,770, a single filer in Santa Maria takes home about $89,625 a year, or $7,469 a month and $3,447 every two weeks. Taxes take 29% of gross pay.
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
Is Santa Maria a good place for data scientists? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Santa Maria area are 9% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 108.8), so the average $125,770 buys what about $115,600 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 2.2 times the median wage of all jobs in Santa Maria ($51,690). A typical home costs $1,005,339, or 8.0 years of this average salary before tax.
Data Scientists salary in other California cities
Santa Maria ranks 8th of 20 California metro areas for this job; San Jose pays the most ($212,760).
- San Jose$212,760
- San Francisco$174,830
- Oxnard$138,630
- Los Angeles$136,700
- San Diego$134,470
- Santa Cruz$132,800
- San Luis Obispo$128,340
- Santa Maria$125,770
- Riverside$125,060
- Napa$124,390
Highest-paying cities for data scientists
San Jose, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($212,760).
- San Jose, CA$212,760
- San Francisco, CA$174,830
- Seattle, WA$160,460
- Idaho Falls, ID$159,110
- Kennewick, WA$157,380
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Data Scientists salary in Santa Maria: questions
How much do data scientists make an hour in Santa Maria?
$60.47 an hour on average, and $54.80 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level data scientists salary in Santa Maria?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $68,690 a year and the 25th percentile is $82,110, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the data scientists take-home pay in Santa Maria?
About $89,625 a year ($7,469 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $125,770. California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
Do data scientists earn more in Santa Maria than elsewhere?
The average here is about the same as the U.S. metro average for this job ($128,761).
Sources and how to read this page
- Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 15-2051; area Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA (42200). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 2.6%.
- Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
- Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
- Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
- Job concentration: location quotient 0.55, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.55).
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